From consultants SRM the most frequently asked questions about security vetting.
WHY IS PERSONNEL VETTING NECESSARY?
Since employees are one of the biggest investments for any company, the vetting or screening of new personnel aims to make sure that a person’s character and personal circumstances are such that he/she can be trusted to carry out the position employed and can safely manage sensitive information or company assets.
Reports are regularly produced from agencies such as The Institute of Directors which indicate that as many as 40pc of CVs are enhanced in some way.
SRM can cite numerous instances of university degrees falsely being claimed or enhanced, of previous addresses not being quoted because of County Court judgements, and of prospective employees not disclosing that they are directors of companies involved in the same line of business.
WHAT IS BRITISH STANDARD 7858: 2004?
This British Standard gives recommendations for the security screening of personnel to be employed in an environment where the security of people, goods or property is a significant feature of the employing organisation.
By applying this standard it ensures that all personnel are screened for a minimum of 10 years prior to commencing work.
WHAT IS THE VETTING PROCESS?
Candidates who apply for any job role that includes access to sensitive information or sites will be asked to complete one or more security questionnaires, which invite them to provide the personal details needed to enable the necessary checks to be carried out. Interviews may also be carried out. The depth of checks varies according to the level of regular access to sensitive information that the job entails.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CARRY OUT A VETTING PROCEDURE?
The British Standard recommends that the BS7858:2004 process is carried out within 16 weeks. SRM aims to complete both this initial process and the enhanced BS7858:2004 within four weeks, provided that outside bodies return information and references in a timely fashion.
CAN’T A COMPANY’S HR DEPARTMENT DO THE VETTING THEMSELVES?
SRM boasts a number of important industry credentials, including as its status as a Registered Organisation for the Criminal Records Bureau, where Disclosure of Convictions is an issue. Companies can save a great deal of time and money by outsourcing their personnel vetting and screening procedures to an organisation that specialises in this particular area.
WHAT ABOUT UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION?
All candidates for security vetting are treated impartially and consistently, irrespective of their gender, marital status, age, ethnic origin, religious views, or sexual orientation.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE FINANCIAL CHECK?
The purpose of the check is to assess whether the candidate (or his/her dependants, where applicable) is, or has been, in serious financial difficulty or show signs of financial irresponsibility to the extent that he/she could become vulnerable to financial inducement.
CAN SRM CHECK A CRIMINAL RECORD?
It is possible in many countries to carry out a check of a person’s criminal record, but within the EEC Data Protection issues create confusion.
Under the Disclosure of Convictions procedures, anyone involved in the care, training or supervision of children, young persons and vulnerable adults should have his/her criminal and associated history checked through the Criminal Records Bureau. This can only be done through a Registered Body, and SRM is a registered body with the CRB for this purpose.
A basic criminal conviction check is in fact a contradiction of what is required and has been particularly abused by the security industry over the last few years. Under the Data Protection Act, any person has been able to request the Police Service for a copy of the information held on file for them. This procedure is known as a Subject Access Disclosure and remains the position to date. Obviously the end product they want is a certificate to state there are no records (convictions) are kept on file in relation to them.
